" $-< it' ø :.:0:- .. " , ";:;:: . . , Otto J m,:,:, , . , . "* - "',," .,:#t:; m; ....:: ::: , :::.: ". . ' - Readers accustomed to the average corporate history will be pleas- antly astonished to discover THE EXCEPTION. This candid, witty and revealing book describes the rise of Ash- land Oil from a tinyone-celled businessorganism toa multi-national enterprise against the shifting backdrop of the world and its people through the years. Not only will the discerning reader find material for reflection in the descriptions of boardroom maneuvers, competitive challenge and individual effort-but he will find the effects of change in our society illustrated in the responses of an individual corporation. There are many protagonists in this book, but Paul G. Blazer is the central figure. Although Blazer shunned publicity in his own lifetime, his endlessly creative mind and unconquerable spirit will attract and hold the interest of all readers. Events of the Roaring Twenties, the Depression, the New Deal World War II and the postwar era are not just a backdrop to this , ....., :;:::: . COt+* ::::: iæ .-.:::;. .. >>. ',':' y, ".'-.:' .:..'t'="', '::::.:' chronicle-they are an integral part of the development of Ashland Oil through the years. Persons and events of the past a re described not only from the viewpoint of how they affected a company- but how the company participated in bringing change to the American landscape. If you have ever wondered how business decisions are made; how the executive suite thinks and moves; why some companies not only survive but grow through the years, while their com- petitors shrink or diminish-THE EXCEPTION will provide many answers. In all, the story of Ashland 011 & Refining Company illumi- nates some of the most intriguing and exciting areas of the com- plex world in which we live. The author, Otto J. Scott, is well qualified to write THE EXCEPTION A grandson of Philip Scott one of the pioneers who helped build the vast oil empire known as the Royal Dutch Shell, he grew up in the atmosphere of international business. $6.95 AT ALL BOOKSTORES McGRAW-HILL